Ketamine for Pain and Mood Study

Visual created with AI assistance

About the Study

We are studying how ketamine affects pain and mood when it is given as a one-time treatment through an IV (a small tube placed in your vein). In this study, ketamine will be given with IV sedation, which is medication that helps you relax and feel sleepy. Ketamine is a medication that has been safely used for many years as an anesthetic (to make people sleep during surgery). In recent years, doctors have found that ketamine can also help improve mood in people with depression and reduce certain types of chronic pain.

Note: This is a very small pilot study requiring a careful patient selection process, so while we may not be able to include as many people as we would like at this stage,  the results will help us decide if a larger clinical trial should be done in the future.

What does the study involve for participants?

Study participants will receive up to $500 compensation for completing all screening and study activities.

This study has three parts:

Part 1:

  • A phone call (about 1 hour) with our research team to see if you might be a good fit
  • Those who might be a good fit will be invited to Stanford’s campus for an in-person screening visit (up to 2 hours) that includes: an informed consent discussion, a medical interview, a physical exam, surveys, a test to measure sensitivity to skin pressure, and possible lab tests, all of which will be provided at no cost to participants. 
  • Participants will be compensated $100 for completing all screening procedures.


Part 2:

Eligible participants will be invited to Stanford Hospital for a single treatment session lasting up to 5 hours. During this visit, participants will:

  • Have a 50-50 chance of receiving ketamine or a placebo (saline) while they are safely sedated through an IV
  • Have a board-certified anesthesiologist give all medications in a carefully monitored environment
  • Complete interviews and surveys before and after treatment
  • Have sensory testing to measure sensitivity to skin pressure
  • Wear a standard EEG cap that records brain activity
  • Participants will be compensated $300 for the treatment session.


Part 3:

  • Participants who complete Parts 1 and 2 will be asked to fill out an at-home survey once a week for 4 weeks. Each at-home survey may take up to 30 minutes to complete.
  • Participants will be compensated up to $100 for responding to surveys.

You May be Eligible to Participate if You:

  • Are 18 to 70 years of age
  • Experience pain to some extent every day for at least 3 months
  • Experience symptoms of depression
  • Are not using benzodiazepines (such as Xanax, Valium, or Klonopin) every day
  • Are not being treated for severe heart, lung, kidney, liver, or brain disease

Frequently Asked Questions

Find out if you are eligible!

Please send an email to psychedelicstudies@stanford.edu and someone from the research team will set up a phone call with you.

Know that we will do everything we can to keep your data private as required by law and will not share it with anyone who is not working on the study.

For questions regarding participant’s rights, contact the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at 1-866-680-2906.